Into The Chamber Again
by isolemnlyswearthatiamup2nogood
Summary: The story begins from Hermione’s point of view right before Harry leaves for the Ravenclaw common room with Luna, in Deathly Hallows. Hermione and Ron venture into the Chamber of Secrets to get basilisk fangs. Full of love, laughter, and melancholy.
1. Hope In Hogwarts

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters, their spells, or the wonderful world they live in. We can all thank J.K. Rowling for that. There are also a few direct quotes from the Deathly Hallows (marked with an asterisk*), they are all Jo's creation, not mine.

A/N: I originally wanted to make this one continuous chapter, as it should be, but after it became way too long, I realized I needed to break it up. I will, however, try to post each chapter as soon as possible! This is my first fanfiction, so I desperately want feedback! Please review!!!! And thanks to my unofficial beta MioneJeanWeasley!

Into the Chamber Again

Chapter One

Hope In Hogwarts

Hermione had mixed feelings about being back at Hogwarts after missing her long-anticipated seventh year. It had caused her a great deal of pain to hear Neville talk about how the school she had loved, the first place where she had truly fit-in, had become a cruel, prison-like institution. The school, which had once welcomed all young witches and wizards into a safe learning environment, now unrightfully refused to accept students of Hermione's own birth. The professors, whom used to be responsible for teaching students the dangers and consequences of using unforgivable curses, instead used them against the students as a punishment. The headmaster, himself, was a traitor, a murderer, and worst of all, a Death Eater. If Hogwarts, the place that had always managed to survive, regardless of what turmoil was going on in the Wizarding World, was truly falling down under, what hope was left?

Hermione felt a surge of warmth as she looked around at all of her friends who had not yet given up. Even though Hogwarts, as a whole, had fallen into the wrong hands, they had managed to form their own place of hope within. The Room of Requirement had transformed into a place of refuge where those who were still willing to stand up to Voldemort could gather together and form one entity. As Hermione glanced around the room she saw the black and yellow banner of Hufflepuff, the bronze and navy banner of Ravenclaw, and lastly, her eyes lingered over the familiar scarlet and golden banner of Gryffindor. As she studied the details of the embroidered lion, Hermione remembered the symbolism behind the ferocious creature, bravery. The purple and blue bruises on Neville's face were proof that bravery still existed in such dark times. As long as someone was fighting against evil, there was still hope.

Before Hermione could realize how much of the ongoing conversation she had missed while lost in her thoughts, a nudge from Ron caused her great alarm. Next to her, Harry's eyes were glazed over, as he remained silent and unresponsive for several seconds. No one else in the room seemed to notice Harry's brief departure from his mind, but Hermione new that ominous look all too well.

"He's on the move."* Harry murmured low enough so that only Ron and Hermione could hear. Hermione's thoughts ran wild. Where was Voldemort going? Or…coming?

"No, Luna will take Harry, won't you, Luna?"*

Hermione's thoughts were directed elsewhere as she heard the warm, yet fierce voice of one of best friends, Ginny Weasley. Hermione had not seen Ginny since her narrow escape from Bill and Fleur's wedding. It was no longer a question as to whether Ginny was still hung up over Harry. Due to her last remark, she obviously did not want Cho to escort Harry to the Ravenclaw common room, for fear that feelings could resurface between the two of them. Hermione smirked at her friend, causing Ginny to blush.

"Oooh, yes, I'd like to,"* Luna replied in her dream-like voice.

"How do we get out?"* Harry asked just as Hermione was beginning to wonder the same thing herself.

"Over here."* Neville replied as he made his way over to a mahogany cupboard, which disguised a small, narrow staircase. As Harry and Luna disappeared down the steps, the room grew quiet for several seconds before an explosion of noisy chatter broke out.

Hermione looked around the room. There were so many people she would like to talk to, Ginny, Fred and George, Neville… Once her eyes landed upon Ron, however, she remembered there was a mission to accomplish, putting an end to Voldemort. There would be plenty of time later to catch-up with everyone, but right now she had to concentrate on what was most important.

Ron looked up and caught Hermione staring at him. They both looked away embarrassed, Ron's ears turning a vivid shade of crimson, and Hermione's checks blushing a light pink. After a couple of awkward moments passed, Hermione made her way over to the corner where Ron was standing.

"Er… hullo," Ron said slowly, "So I suppose we ought to come up with some sort of plan then."

"Why, yes, Ronald," Hermione said petulantly. "It'd be best if we didn't stand around like fools while waiting for Harry to save the day." She immediately regretted becoming cross with Ron. She often became unnecessarily harsh when under stress.

"Fine. Well then let's hear your _brilliant_ plan." Ron demanded, obviously offended from Hermione's previous comment.

"I…er…don't have one." Hermione muttered ashamedly.

"Oh."

Hermione racked her brain for a plan. This was an uncomfortable feeling, not knowing what to do, or what the next move might be. Unfortunately, it was a feeling that she had grown accustomed to over the past months. She thought of the limited amount of time they had to search for a horcrux. Harry had seen into Voldemort's mind, _he's on the move_, was all he had said. But what was that supposed to mean? Was Voldemort coming to Hogwarts? And if so, how soon? Then, another horrid thought hit her.

"This is useless!" Hermione cried. "Even if Harry does manage to track down another horcrux, we have no means of destroying it, let alone the cup." Ron stared at her with a furrowed brow. Several minutes passed in silence; Hermione was beginning to wonder if he had heard her correctly.

"The basilisk!" Ron cried.

Suddenly it all made sense to her. She knew what Ron was getting at. Basilisk venom was one of the rare ways to destroy a horcrux. She felt foolish for not having come up the plan earlier, but the feeling of joy was much more powerful.

"Of course! That's it Ron!" Hermione half screamed at him. "They fangs will destroy the horcruxes! We need to get into the Chamber of Secrets- Ron you're a genius!"

Hermione threw her arms around him into a rather short-lived embrace, pulling apart after she realized her rash actions. The pair smiled at each other but was interrupted by the twins' laughter and mock applause.

"It's 'bout time!" cried George.

"Yeah, we thought you two would have gotten together ages ago," Fred joined in despite the obvious embarrassment it was causing Ron and Hermione. "By the way, George, I believe there is some business you have to take care of. Cough up." George thrust five galleons into Fred's hand.

"I was beginning to suspect you were right, Fred, I mean Ron obviously didn't have it in him." George said with a grin exploding over his face.

"Hold on here! What are you two going on about?" A red-faced Ron demanded.

"Which one of you two would make the first move." George explained.

"Of course the bet was made years ago," Fred mused, "but I guess the same standards still apply. Ittle Ronnikins is a wuss."

"I…I…" Ron stammered.

"We'll leave you two lovers alone." George said with a smirk as the twins left, setting off a myriad of red hearts and roses from the tips of their wands. Ron and Hermione were left in silence, both blushing furiously.

Several minutes passed. Hermione was unsure of how she felt. She liked Ron, well _liked_ might be an understatement, she was in love with him. But had it really been necessary of to make a public proclaim of that now?

"I suppose we'd better get down to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom," Hermione suggested, breaking the silence. "We can't be sure of how much time we have before-."

"Yeah, I suppose we ought to." Ron agreed cutting Hermione off before she could complete her unpleasant thought. And with that, the couple made their way over to the mahogany cupboard, swung upon the door, and disappeared down the steep staircase.

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A/N: Thanks so much for reading! And don't forget to please REVIEW!!!


	2. Slytherin Slime

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters, their spells, or the wonderful world they live in. We can all thank J.K. Rowling for that!

A/N: I'm so sorry it took me so long to update- I promise I'll be quicker next time! Enjoy the chapter, but don't forget, I desperately want feedback! Please review!!!! And thanks to my unofficial beta MioneJeanWeasley!

Into the Chamber Again

Chapter Two

Slytherin Slime

Ron paused as he grasped the large brass doorknob. The first time he had done so, five years ago, he was appalled that he was about to enter a girls' toilet. Now, it was hard to believe that something so fatuous had once mattered to him. He took a deep breath and pushed open the heavy wooden door; the out-of-order sign clamored. Hermione followed. The ancient bathroom was just as gloomy and depressing as ever. The ceiling had developed an odd yellowish stain, which appeared to be growing by the second. The number of damaged wooden stall doors hanging off the hinges had increased. Several tiles were missing from the floor, revealing the cement slabs beneath. Water covered the floor, but Moaning Myrtle was nowhere to be seen. Ron found that odd, she rarely left her stall. Ron's eyes lingered towards a partially shattered mirror above the eerily familiar sink.

"So that's it then, the entrance." Hermione, too, was looking at the intricately carved sink. Ron had nearly forgotten that she had never been into the chamber; she was petrified at the time. He shuddered at the memory of a limp Hermione, and hoped he would never have to see her like that again.

"Yeah, that's it." Ron muttered. They both stood in silence until Hermione asked the obvious question that had been on both of their minds.

"So how do we open it?"

Ron was immediately filled with a nervous energy. He thought back to second year. He had also been nervous then, for his sister's life had been in danger. But tonight, not just one life was at stake, but perhaps everyone's in the castle. Ron knew what to do. It was finally his chance. He no longer had to wait for Hermione to know an answer to a problem, or for Harry to take charge. No, Ron was needed here. It was _his_ moment.

Ron slowly made his way towards the basin of the sink; Hermione eyed him curiously. He traced his fingers over the tarnished copper taps until he found the hidden serpent. He knew what he had to do next. He closed his eyes in concentration and opened his mouth. A horrible hissing noise escaped his mouth, just as it had Harry's five years ago in this very spot, just as it had Harry's as he opened Slytherin's locket.

Several seconds passed, the sink remained in place. Ron immediately became frustrated.

"Ron, shall we-?" Hermione started. Ron shook his head. He could do it; he just had to make the correct sound. He opened his mouth once more and tried again. This time, the tap lit up and began to spin rapidly. Hermione let out a small gasp as the sink began to disappear below them into the depths of the darkness.

"Ron, you've done it!" Hermione beamed, "How did you do it- speak parsletongue?" He, too, was actually quite shocked his feeble attempt had worked. He couldn't help but smile, something that had been rare in the last few months.

"I dunno. I just tried to do what Harry did last time," Ron offered sheepishly. The pair grinned at each other until Ron glanced over at the black hole, bringing them back to reality.

"I'm going first," Ron declared. He had to take charge, be a leader.

"No," Hermione said firmly. Ron raised an eyebrow. "We'll go together," she confirmed. The couple grasped hands and plunged into the darkness.

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Hermione fell with a thud into pile of what seemed to be bones. She shuddered at the thought. Her hands were covered in something, but it was too dark to tell what it was. Ron was sprawled out next to her, coughing loudly.

"Lumos," Hermione muttered, revealing the filthy stonewalls. The pipe had shot them out into a small circular tunnel. It looked as if an explosion had taken place; bits of the wall and the ceiling had caved-in. The ground was indeed covered in bones, along with a thick layer of dirt and slime.

"Well no one's bothered to clean up in here," Ron said in disgust as he flicked a black moving blob off of his hand. Hermione couldn't help but smirk at his expression. He did have a point though; one would have thought that Dumbledore would have been down here after all that had happened.

"It's this way." Ron led her through the tunnel over various bits of stone and skeletons. They walked through the winding tunnel for what seemed like ages, until they came to a sudden stop in front of a solid wall. Hermione wondered if they had somehow managed to take a wrong turn, although she did not remember the tunnel leading in any other directions. Just as she was about to question Ron, she noticed the carvings on the wall and understood. Two intertwined snakes were staring through Hermione with their emerald eyes; they were far too life-like for Hermione's liking. She looked over at Ron who spit out the same horrid hissing noise as he had earlier. Except for this time, it was different, he was much more confident.

The effect was immediate. The serpents slithered in circles until they were completely freed from one another; the wall moved aside to make way for Ron and Hermione.

"Well done Ron," Hermione said in awe, "I don't know what I'd do without you." Ron beamed and took hold of her hand. Together they walked into the chamber. Hermione could definitely get used to this, the feel of Ron's hand against her own.

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Ron grasped Hermione's hand tighter. Although he had never been this far into the chamber, only Harry had, it still brought back bad memories. There were moments when he had thought Ginny was dead, that there was no point for Harry to risk his life. Ron had been sick with worry at the thought of losing his sister _and_ his best mate. It would have been his fault. Ron pushed the memory aside; there was no point in dwelling on the past.

As they walked past the rows and rows of serpent-covered pillars, a horrible thought occurred to Ron.

"Do think there's any chance the basilisk skeleton would have been…er … removed?" He asked anxiously.

"I-I don't know." Hermione muttered. The two continued in silence until they came to a halt at the opening of the pillars. A large stone statue of a stern looking wizard with billowing robes stood in the center of the circular chamber. Lying before him, on the bloodstained floor, was what was left of the enormous basilisk. The whole of the skeleton was not to be seen, for its tail disappeared into the darkness. The giant snake had to have been over hundreds of feet long.

"I had no idea it was that large." Hermione mused.

"Neither did I," Ron agreed. The idea that the snake before him had once been alive, lurking through the school's pipe system, was terrifying.

"Well I suppose we ought to collect the fangs." Hermione suggested.

Ron nodded his head in agreement as they walked nearer to the skull of the basilisk.

"Diffindo." Hermione ordered, pointing her wand at a large fang; it fell to the ground, severed from the rest.

"Should we get more than just the one?" Ron asked.

"Yes, yes," Hermione said somewhat distractedly, "Good thinking Ron." She repeated the spell; Ron joined in, speeding up the process until they had taken a significant dent out of the number of attached fangs.

Hermione reached into the familiar beaded bag, rummaging through the myriad of items they had collected over the last months. It still amazed Ron that a bag of that size could be enchanted to hold items bigger than Harry, Hermione, and himself combined.

Ron's eyes flickered in recognition as she pulled out the tiny, shimmering, golden cup, emblazoned with the badger of Hufflepuff. Although this was the perfect opportunity to destroy the horcrux, he still shuttered in recollection of his last experience with the dark magic. The enchantment of Tom Riddle had ever so continently reminded Ron of all of his insecurities. That was when it hit him; he wouldn't be destroying another horcrux tonight.

"It's got to be you." He declared, not out of desperation, but out of honest understanding. After spending all of his time around Harry and his odd way of thinking, which no doubt had come from Dumbledore, Ron had learned a thing or two about the fundamentals of magic.

"What?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"You've got to do it, destroy the horcrux," Ron explained, "Harry's destroyed the diary, I got rid of the locket-it's your turn. You're a part of this." Hermione nodded. She grasped the iron handles of the cup and reached for a basilisk fang…

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Thanks for reading! PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!!!


	3. Breaking Cups and Mending Hearts

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters, their spells, or the wonderful world they live in. We can all thank J.K. Rowling for that! There are also a few direct quotes from the Deathly Hallows (marked with an asterisk*), they are all Jo's creation, not mine.

A/N:I'm so sorry it took me so long to update! I've been really busy! Thanks to all of my fabulous reviewers: MioneJeanWeasley, rhmac12, LittleMissDorkFace, mugglegrl84, ObsessedRHShipper, gosh so sweet, and xx siriusly lily xx, I love you guys! Also thanks to everyone who has read this story, and don't forget, nothing makes me happier than REVIEWS!!!

Into the Chamber Again

Chapter Three

Breaking Cups and Mending Hearts

Hermione took a deep breath, and lowered the basilisk fang into the tiny, golden cup. Before the fang could make contact with the surface, the cup began to fill with a shimmering, silver liquid. The liquid did not stop once it reached the brim, but it overflowed at the top. The icy substance ran down the sides onto Hermione's fingertips. The shock was unbearable. The liquid had to, under normal laws of science, have been solid ice for the unbelievable temperature it possessed, yet it also shared several of the same qualities of fire, due to the burning sensation it had.

"What the-?" Ron started, but was cut off by Hermione's shrieks. Hermione tried to let go of the cup, but the liquid was acting as a body bind cure of the hand, as it danced around her wrist, not allowing her to move a muscle. Noticing her obvious agony, Ron tried to wrench the cup from Hermione's hand, but was unsuccessful. As the sparkling puddle grew rapidly on the chamber's ground, the pain finally subsided.

"Are you alright?" Ron asked nervously. Hermione nodded, but her thoughts were elsewhere as her eyes were glued to the mysterious substance that had now stopped multiplying, but had formed a perfect circle on the filthy floor. The cup lay intact, temporarily forgotten and out of the way. Hermione was mesmerized by the swirling motions of the liquid. Although it gave her an eerie feeling, somehow she could not bring herself to look away. After what could have been several hours, or a matter of seconds, the dancing substance formed a scene, a sickeningly familiar scene...

"Mangy Grange-y dyed her hair, when she said she didn't care! Mangy Grange-y dyed her hair, when she said she didn't care!" The cruel children chanted the phrase over and over again until a little girl with long, shiny blonde hair became so furious, she looked as if she may explode.

"I. Did. Not. Dye. My. Hair," The young girl gritted through her oversized teeth. A large, muscular boy with dark hair, and a baseball bat walked over to the young girl laughing.

"Then what do you call this goldilocks?" He snickered tugging on a piece of her hair. She swatted at his hand until he released his grasp.

"I've told you, I didn't do it! It's changed on its own!" The girl shrieked, tears streaming down her face. The children carried on laughing and making fun of the poor, confused girl, chanting their horrid phrases.

The scene changed. The same girl, now several years older with brown bushy hair, walked out of a busy classroom with a smile plastered on her face. Walking ahead of her were two young boys: one with a mess of black hair, and the other a tall and gangly boy with vivacious red hair. They were talking animatedly; the one boy was obviously upset about something.

"No one can stand her," The red haired boy said in disgust, "She's a nightmare."

The girl was crushed by this proclamation; her former smile was replaced with a frown. She ran into the two boys as she hurried off, trying to control her expression as unshed tears filled her eyes.

"So?" The redhead continued, as if his last remark had done no harm. "She must have noticed she's got no friends."

And with that, the tears streamed down the girl's face, she had not run off quick enough to the second insult.

The liquid swirled and the scene evolved to a much different one; here, at first glance, everyone seemed to be rather happy. The Gryffindor common room was full of excited chatter, random out bursts of song, and the sound of clanging mugs of butterbeer. Several conversations were going on at once, many of them being Quidditch related.

The girl with the bushy brown hair, had grown up quite a bit, her hair was no longer bushy, but wavy and rather pretty. She seemed to not be enjoying the celebrations as much as her peers were; she was talking to a girl with long red hair and a Pygmy Puff on her shoulder. The common room grew silent when a bubbly couple burst through the portrait hole giggling and holding hands. The blonde, curly-haired girl kissed the red headed boy deeply causing mixed reactions from the audience. A couple of girls gushed in excitement, several boys whooped and hollered, while the vast majority of the crowd looked away awkwardly. The only exception being the girl with the curly brown hair, she looked as if someone had just stabbed her in the heart. As the couple continued their snogging, her devastation grew, as well as her anger. The couple continued snogging, more and more passionately…

Hermione could no longer bear simply sitting around, reliving her worst memories. She was feeling a mix of emotions, devastation, jealousy, but most of all, anger. She stabbed the cup with such great force, that it immediately cracked in half, causing the liquid to vanish and the horrid scene to stop. The horcrux was destroyed.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry-" Ron started, but was cut off by an enthralled Hermione.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ME?" She demanded. "YOU WOULD RATHER SNOG _LAVENDER'S_ FACE OFF THAN BE MY FRIEND? YOU HURT ME! WHY HAVE YOU NEVER NOTICED ME OR LIKED ME? WHAT DID I EVER DO TO YOU? I LOVED-" Her voice trailed off as she threw her face into her hands, sobs escaping her. Ron sat down next to her and put his arm around her.

"Hermione. I don't think you should ever forgive me," Ron sighed, "I was such a git. Ginny told me about you and Viktor and I couldn't get the image out of my head. I was so jealous. What I did was stupid and wrong and I wish I could take it back, but I went with Lavender in order to- in order to get back at you," Ron became quiet for a couple of moments, waiting for a response from Hermione, perhaps another outburst, but when there wasn't one he continued, "I wish I had just asked you back in fourth year before Viktor did, or even in sixth year when I had the chance, but I was so stupid. I don't know why I did. The truth is Hermione, I've been in love with you since fourth year, maybe even earlier, maybe ever since I laid eyes on you, but I was too thick to do anything about it. I ruined it and I can't do anything about it. I-I love you Hermione."

Tears were now trickling down Ron's face, too. After several long moments, Hermione said in almost a whisper, "I never kissed Viktor Krum. It was you I wanted." Hermione let out one last sob and rest her head on Ron's chest, tears flowing openly from the both of them. "I love you Ron." She whispered almost inaudibly.

The two sat in embrace for a while, while they came over themselves. Ron was the first to stand. He helped Hermione up. She immediately began busying herself with cleaning up. She brushed the tears out of her eyes, straightened her shirt, threw the cracked cup into the beaded bag, and went down to pick up the basilisk fangs, but she was interrupted by a troubled Ron calling her name. It took Hermione several tries before she responded.

"What?" She demanded.

"Are you alright?" He asked hesitantly.

"Yes Ron. I-I'm fine, actually I'm good, this was good." The couple stared into each others eyes for a couple of moments before Hermione broke the silence. "We should back up there. With everything going on-"

"Yeah," Ron cut her off, "I'll grab those," He offered, eyed the basilisk fangs. He scooped up a handful and held out his remaining hand, waiting to see if Hermione would grab it.

She hesitated for a moment before saying, "I forgive you Ron. I don't know how you could think even for a moment that I wouldn't. Honestly Ronald, you can be so thick sometimes." She said shaking her head with a laugh. And with that, she grabbed his hand and made her way out of the chamber.

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A/N: Thanks for reading!!! I hope you guys liked it! I know it was rather short, but I'm planning on making one more chapter, so make sure to check for updates AND PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!!!


	4. A Sickling of Sweet Revenge

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters, their spells, or the wonderful world they live in. We can all thank J.K. Rowling for that!

A/N: This is the last chapter, I hope you like it! Thanks to all of my wonderful readers and reviewers: MioneJeanWeasley, rhmac12, LittleMissDorkFace, mugglegrl84, pip., ObsessedRHShipper, gosh so sweet, xx siriusly lily xx, Scabbers1957, Trude, gryffindor101, and NarglesWrackspurtsQuibblers!!! Thank you so much for reviewing, I really appreciate it!

Into the Chamber Again

Chapter Four

A Sickling of Sweet Revenge

Hermione felt strangely at peace as she and Ron walked back through the winding tunnels of the chamber. So much was yet to be achieved, but it had helped Hermione to relax knowing that whenever they found the other horcruxes, they could actually _destroy_ them. Among the many emotions she was experiencing, she also felt somewhat happy, something she had not experienced in quite some time. Everything was right with her and Ron, she had finally gotten the closure that she'd been waiting for for nearly a year. He _loved_ her, she thought as a smile lit up her face.

"What is it you're smiling about?" An oblivious Ron asked.

"Oh nothing," Hermione said shaking her head, "I'm just happy."

"Oh," Ron said with a grin exploding over his face, he too was considerably happy.

The couple continued to walk in a comfortable silence for several minutes until they neared the pipe where they had been shot out of upon their arrival. Hermione's stomach dropped as realization hit her. They had no means of getting out of the chamber; there would be no way they could climb up the pipe, not only was it vertical, but it was covered in a thick layer of un-scourgify-able slime, far too slippery. She exchanged a worried glance with Ron.

"Perhaps we could-" Hermione started, but was cut off by a laughing Ron. "What on earth? Why are you-"

"Nothing I'm sorry," he said with a smirk, "Nothing at all." He cleared his throat, whipped out his wand, and said with a straight face, "Accio Draco Malfoy's broom." A perfectly manicured broomstick with a sleek black handle came rushing down the pipe several seconds later and landed with a clamor at Ron's feet. Hermione couldn't help but to let out a laugh at the sight of the Slytherin's once perfect broom now covered in a greenish liquid from the filthy ground.

"I thought if we're lucky, we could have a go at destroying the twig after we take it for a ride." Ron said boisterously. "Ladies first." He said as he motioned for Hermione to get on the broom. She hesitated before getting on. Even after years of playing Quidditch with the boys over the summer holidays, she still disliked riding brooms. It was perhaps the one skill she was truthfully horrid at, and no amount of practice was about to improve that. She disliked the sensation of flying, she felt as if she had no control, a feeling that was extremely uncomfortable. Luckily, Ron climbed on behind her, and steered the broom, so Hermione did not have to worry about it. For once, she enjoyed flying; with Ron, she felt safe.

She clutched the basilisk fangs in her arms as they flew upward, winding through the long, wide pipe. Hermione lost track of time as they soared through the air, finally light streamed into the tunnel as they neared their destination.

"Are you alright?" Ron asked Hermione as they flew into the ancient bathroom.

"I'm brilliant," She replied in all honesty. She was rather dizzy from flying, but aside from that, she felt perfect and well accomplished after destroying the horcrux. Ron landed smoothly on the tile floor, and allowed Hermione to get off before chucking the broom aside. A high-pitched scream came from the same direction. Unfortunately for her, and for Ron, Moaning Myrtle had been the recipient of Ron's careless tossing of the broom. Although, it swept straight through the ghost girl and caused her now harm, it offended Moaning Myrtle like no other when objects were thrown at her, as Hermione recalled back to second year.

"YOU!" She shrieked at Ron. "How _dare_ you throw that broom at me! Do you think its _funny_?" Moaning Myrtle squeaked, her voice rising several octaves higher than any human's, or ghost's for that matter, ever should.

"No, I didn't see you." Ron muttered apologetically.

"You didn't _see_ me? You think becau-" Hermione could sense the severity of the oncoming outburst and decided to make an effort to put a stop to it.

"I think what he means to say is that he's terribly sorry and he didn't mean to be insensitive, we really do-" Hermione started, but was cut off by a still angry Moaning Myrtle.

"I don't want to hear either of you speak! Drackie's told me all about the terrible things you've done."

"Wait…Drackie, as in _Malfoy?_" Ron demanded, trying to conceal his laughter.

"Why yes," Moaning Myrtle said, now her voice much quieter, no longer rivaling a mandrake's scream, "Drackie is a good friend of mine, he's kind, and sensiti-"

"Right, er, we're just going to head out." Ron said, grinning widely. He grabbed a load of the basilisk fangs from Hermione's arms; she, too, was wearing a bemused expression and looked as if she was trying to suppress a laugh. He scooped up Malfoy's broom and the couple ran out of the ancient bathroom, avoiding the wrath of Moaning Myrtle. Once in the corridors, they were not sure of where to go. It was hard to guess where Harry would be by now; quite a bit of time had passed while they were down in the chamber. Deciding they should head up a couple of floors in order to find everyone, the made their way towards the nearest staircase.

"So how do you reckon we should dispose of the scumbucket's broomstick?" Ron asked, a grin appearing on his face, an occurrence that had happened many more times in the last hour than Hermione could recall in the recent past.

"Hmm…perhaps Harry will have an idea." Hermione offered.

"I guess so," Ron mused. "I'd like to see the expression on Malfoy's face as we _burn_ his broom before his eyes. We owe it to him, it's the least we can do, really."

"Well then I suppose that's what we'll have to do." Hermione agreed happily. The smiles were still plastered on their faces as they rounded the corner...

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A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I hope you liked my first fanfiction, I had a lot of fun writing it! I'm in the process of working on a new story about the second generation, so be sure to check for that as soon as I post it! And I'd LOVE IT IF YOU COULD PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!


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